2012 The Regional Municipality of Durham

Regional Services & Property Tax Update Property Tax Supported Budget Highlights Essential Services and Targeted Investments

The 2012 Regional Business Plans and Budgets continue to focus on priority infrastructure and maintaining delivery of essential Regional services such as policing, transit, roads, emergency medical services, public health, long term care, solid waste management and social services. Highlights of the 2012 property tax budget include: • The expansion and improvement of the Regional transportation network, including bridge rehabilitation, additional funding for Durham Region Transit to complete the Ajax Pickering route restructuring and the continued implementation of the Highway 2 Bus Rapid Transit service; • Infrastructure renewal funding for Emergency Communications Platform, Fairview Lodge Long Term Care facility and the Clarington Police facility; • Solid waste management initiatives to assist in meeting the 70 per cent diversion from landfill target and implementation of the remedial action plan for the Brock Landfill Site scheduled to be closed by 2014; • Additional funding for Economic Development as part of the strategic program to enhance the Regional profile and attract investment; • New child care fee subsidy spaces (46) which are 100 per cent funded by the Province of Ontario; • Five additional 911 Emergency Telephone System Operators to meet compliance standards; and • Special contribution funding to meet the Region’s commitments to Lakeridge Health, Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering Hospital and Durham College.

Average Residential Property Tax Impact Regional Business Plans and Budgets

Your property tax total has three components: Regional municipal taxes, Local municipal taxes and Provincial education taxes. For the average residential home in Durham Region, approximately 52 per cent of the total property tax bill is for Regional services (ranging from 44 per cent in the City of Oshawa to 60 per cent in the Township of Uxbridge). This brochure provides information on the services provided by The Regional Municipality of Durham.

2012 Durham Regional Property Tax Increase ($) Police Service Roads and Bridges Durham Region Transit* Other Services Special Contributions (Hospitals & College) New Economic Development Initiative Average 2012 Budgetary Tax Impact

20 15 9 4 4 1 $53

Based on a home with an assessment of $319,000 *Transit impacts vary by local area municipality

Based on an average residential home in Durham with a 2012 Current Value Assessment of $319,000, the 2012 Regional property tax budgetary increase is 2.35 per cent, or $53 as shown in the table above. This does not include water and sewer services, which are billed separately based on user rates and individual customer consumption. In 2012, the average residential home will also experience a reassessment related Regional property tax decrease of approximately $8. When combined with the average budgetary increase, the average residential net Regional property tax increase after reassessment is $45, or 1.95 per cent.

Durham Region Services The Regional Municipality of Durham encompasses eight local area municipalities, covering 2,537 square kilometres, and provides services and infrastructure to more than 620,000 residents. Regional Council is composed of the Regional Chair and 28 locally elected municipal councillors, including the mayors of each local area municipality. Lake

Simcoe Simcoe

Township of Brock

In addition to the Regional Headquarters on Rossland Road in Whitby, there are more than 300 other facilities located throughout the Region, which provide front-line services to Durham residents.

Police Service • 871 officers and 376 civilian staff in five division stations. • 224 patrol cruisers and 147 other vehicles, including a helicopter.

Township of Uxbridge

Township of Scugog

Lake

Scugog

Emergency Medical Services • 208 full-time and 80 part-time primary and advanced care paramedics in 10 paramedic response stations. • 39 ambulances, 11 rapid response and command vehicles and 24 administrative and support vehicles.

City of Pickering

Social Services & Public Health

Town of City of Whitby Oshawa

• Four long term care facilities providing 847 beds, three adult day program delivery sites and four social assistance offices. • One Ontario Works program resource centre, nine Family Services counselling offices, six child care centres and three nursery schools.

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Town of Ajax "

Municipality of Clarington

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• 23 social housing facilities.

Lake

• Four health clinics and four additional health service locations.

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Ontario

Solid Waste Management • One active and six inactive landfill sites. • Three waste management facilities and four hazardous waste depots.

Water Supply & Sanitary Sewerage

• One material recovery facility and a material marketing and call centre.

• Services provided to 158,000 residential and 4,600 commercial water and sewer customers on a user pay basis, not funded through property taxes.

Roads & Bridges • 2,148 lane kilometres of paved roads with 215 bridges and culverts and 433 traffic control signals/beacons. • Five public works depots.

Durham Region Transit • 179 conventional and smaller community buses, 30 Specialized Services buses and nine support vehicles serving over 10 million riders annually. • One major transit garage currently under construction in Ajax and a replacement transit facility planned for future construction in Oshawa.

Water Supply • 14 water supply plants, 18 pumping stations and 23 storage facilities. • 2,342 kilometres of watermains with 15,048 hydrants and approximately 159,000 water meters.

Sanitary Sewerage • 12 water pollution control plants and 51 pumping stations. • 2,098 kilometres of gravity mains with 28,439 maintenance holes and approximately 155,000 service connections.

Budget Overview Property Assessments

Average Residential Property Taxes

Assessment is the responsibility of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), which administers the Provincial Assessment Act and provides the assessment on which individual property taxes are based.

In 2012, the average residential home in Durham, assessed at $319,000, will pay an average of $2,329 in Regional property taxes as follows: $702

Police Service 30.1% $283

Roads and Bridges 12.2%

As mandated by the Province, all properties in Ontario were reassessed in 2008 (January 1st valuation date) with assessment changes phased in over the 2009 to 2012 taxation years. As legislated by the Province, every four years MPAC reassesses all properties in Ontario. Currently, MPAC is conducting an update of the assessment base from January 1st, 2008 values to January 1st, 2012. The individual property reassessment changes will be phased in over the property taxation years 2013 to 2016, as mandated by the Province. MPAC will be sending new assessment notices to all property owners in the fall of 2012. Although reassessments result in taxation shifts amongst individual properties, they do not change the total taxes collected by the Region of Durham. The Region adjusts its property tax rate to take into account the reassessment’s average property valuation change before any budgetary changes are considered. As a result, each property will experience a reassessment related tax change (either increase or decrease), in addition to the 2012 approved budgetary increase of 2.35 per cent.

Durham Region and GO Transit 8.5%

$197

Social Services 8.0%

$186

Solid Waste* 7.0%

$162

Social Housing 6.9%

$160

Services to Seniors 6.7%

$155

General Government 6.2%

$149

Infrastructure Renewal Funding 4.3% Emergency Medical Services 3.7% Public Health 2.3%

$101 $86 $53

Property Assessment Services 1.5%

$34

Conservation Authorities 1.4%

$33

Contributions and Reserves 1.2%

$28

*Solid Waste varies in the City of Oshawa and the Town of Whitby as waste collection is provided by the local area municipality.

All Regional Services 2012 Budgeted Gross Expenditures

Property Tax Supported Services* 2012 Financing

$1.278 billion

$1.014 billion

Transit $110m (9%)

Solid Waste $57m (4%)

Water Supply* $102m (8%)

User Fees and Other $181m (18%)

Provincial Subsidy $240m (24%)

Reserves/Reserve Funds $60m (6%)

Sanitary Sewerage* $162m (13%) General Purposes $847m (66%)

*Water supply and sanitary sewerage services are user pay and not funded from property taxes.

Property Taxes $533m (52%)

*Includes general purposes, solid waste and transit. Excludes water supply and sanitary sewerage.

Protection Services Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS)

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Gross Expenditures: $211.6 million Property Taxes: $160.6 million

Gross Expenditures: $38.0 million Property Taxes: $19.8 million

With the support of our community partners, the DRPS strives to have the safest community for people to live, work and play.

The primary goal of EMS is to deliver a high quality ambulance system focused on clinical and customer service excellence that is both responsive to client needs and effective at reducing mortality in emergency situations. EMS currently provides out of hospital medical care and transportation to more than 93,000 emergency and non-emergency requests.

In 2011, crime in Durham Region was down from previous years, with crimes against persons decreasing by 4.1 per cent and crimes against property decreasing by 7.8 per cent compared to 2010. The rate of criminal occurrences solved by police in Durham continued to rise in 2011, as the operational clearance rate improved by one per cent to 53 per cent.

In 2012, seven replacement ambulances with automated idle reduction, low voltage heating and new generation gasoline engines will be purchased, achieving environmental, economic and operational benefits.

Criminal Code Incidents Per 100,000 Population 3,616

2,488

3,072

4,243 4,748

EMS Call Volume 84,564 91,613 93,130 94,000 74,086 80,404 81,653

5,442 37,943

2012 est.

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

1996

Niagara

Waterloo

Toronto

Halton

York

Durham

10 Years

Public Health The 2011 to 2013 DRPS Business Plan details the priorities, objectives and strategies that guide delivery of police services in Durham. While adhering to core policing responsibilities, the 2011 to 2013 Business Plan establishes objectives and strategies that address three key service priorities: community safety; crime prevention through law enforcement; and organizational excellence. In addition to these goals, there are defined measures of success to demonstrate the achievement of outcomes and movement towards the objectives.

Gross Expenditures: $45.4 million Property Taxes: $12.2 million

DRPS continues to emphasize the use of problem solving strategies that allow for sustainable policing services provided to the citizens of Durham Region. By providing clear direction, the 2011 to 2013 Business Plan prepares DRPS to meet current and future challenges.

• Administer 8,000 Influenza and 27,000 Meningococcal C, Hepatitis B and HPV vaccinations;

DRPS is addressing climate change through sustainable designs for new buildings, renovations to more efficient standards and by encouraging changes in member behaviour to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.

• Investigate 4,270 cases and contacts related to infectious diseases and 1,200 reports related to rabies control;

Community Support Services of the DRPS work closely with local municipalities, school boards, community organizations, neighbourhood representatives and neighbouring municipalities to develop and implement appropriate community-based crime prevention initiatives. Members of this unit also work with community groups to provide a range of safety programs geared to adults and children.

• Conduct 6,200 inspections to ensure safe food handling practices;

The Health Department addresses growing and changing health needs within our community. Major program areas include: Chronic Diseases and Injury Prevention; Family Health; Infectious Diseases; and Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness. The 2012 Health Department targets are to: • Provide health assessment, education services and information to an estimated 30,000 callers;

• Provide 5,620 home visits to expectant parents and children at risk and early intervention for 1,200 children to address delayed development;

• Provide dental services to 7,000 adults and 30,500 children; • Inspect and monitor 230 small drinking water systems, 183 public recreation water facilities, 14 public beaches and conduct 2,700 site visits to test for the presence of West Nile Virus and mosquito larvae; and • Prepare and test emergency management plans.

Services For People Social Assistance

Long Term Care & Services for Seniors

Gross Expenditures: $113.2 million Property Taxes: $31.0 million

Gross Expenditures: $92.4 million Property Taxes: $35.6 million

Durham Region administers the Provincial Ontario Works (OW) program on behalf of over 21,000 persons each month, with the Province providing 83 per cent of the funding for basic needs, such as food, shelter and medical necessities and the Region funding the remainder.

Durham Region operates long term care facilities for residents with multiple and complex care needs, providing 847 beds in four locations within Durham Region.

Recent economic conditions have resulted in a significant increase in OW caseloads in Durham Region. It is anticipated that this increasing trend will stabilize in 2012.

Ontario Works Average Monthly Caseloads Annual 2000 to 2012

Durham Region also provides Adult Day Programs to assist frail, physically disabled or cognitively impaired adults living in the community and provides almost 24,000 Meals on Wheels annually. Fairview Lodge is being designed and rebuilt under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) construction standards and will achieve LEED Silver certification, resulting in energy and environmental benefits, as well as increased capital funding from the Province.

Bed Days Available Per 100,000 Population 2010

10,318 7,826

5,753

78,672 49,783

41,174 34,434

Toronto

Halton

York

Durham

2012 est.

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

7,974

17,646

Waterloo

7,629

Niagara

Employment programs provide participants with job search workshops, job experience placements, referrals to academic upgrading and other innovative and relevant employment supports that assist participants in (re)entering the workforce.

Social Housing

Children’s & Family Services

Gross Expenditures: $49.1 million Property Taxes: $36.6 million

Gross Expenditures: $48.3 million Property Taxes: $11.6 million

The Region administers funding for 6,400 social housing units operated by 45 housing agencies and oversees the development and administration of 299 new affordable housing units. Property management services are provided at 23 sites through the Durham Regional Local Housing Corporation.

Durham Region directly operates six child care centres and three nursery school programs and provides support to 209 licensed programs. Services include: subsidy management; behaviour management services; special needs funding; community planning through the Best Start Network; and assistance in implementing full day kindergarten.

Emergency hostel services are provided to 1,300 homeless individuals and families. In addition, Regional funding to nine social agencies will assist more than 2,700 homeless people in finding and retaining accommodations.

Through Family Services, Durham Region provides 21,000 counselling sessions annually to residents in a caring, compassionate environment, where people can recognize and develop their own capacity for change.

Environmental Services Solid Waste Management

Solid Waste Diversion Rates 2004 to 2011

Gross Expenditures: $57.2 million Property Taxes: $37.1 million 52

52

2007

2008

2009

2010

53

Target

51

2011

50

44

2006

36

2005

The Region is responsible for all waste processing and disposal and also markets the recyclables it collects to reduce the costs otherwise funded through property taxation. The Region is responsible for bulky goods, organics (including green bin), metal goods and residential waste collection in six local area municipalities and Blue Box collections Region-wide. The Region partners with the City of Oshawa and the Town of Whitby, which are responsible for their own garbage and organic waste collection, to ensure uniform programs. The Region supports its waste management initiatives with extensive planning and education programs.

33

2004

70

Percent

In 2011, Durham Region managed 228,000 tonnes of waste and diverted 53 per cent of this material from landfill through recycling, composting and reuse activities. Waste Diversion Ontario lists Durham Region as having one of the highest waste diversion rates of any comparable Ontario municipality.

2011 Waste Stream Compost 27%

Durham Region has improved its curbside and multi-residential recycling programs and is planning new initiatives in 2012 to support increasing diversion to 70 per cent of waste from landfill. These will include: reviewing options for eco-station facilities; the addition of more plastics to the Blue Box Program; implementation of new residential curbside recycling programs for porcelain bathroom fixtures and electronic waste; expansion of the multi-residential electronic waste recycling program; and implementation of new and expanded reuse programs.

Landfill 47% Recycle 23% Reuse 3%

The enhancement of multiple routes in Ajax and Pickering will be completed in 2012, one year ahead of schedule, and will feed future Highway 2 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services and realign routes for improved transfer connections and cross regional travel. DRT continues to develop its new BRT “PULSE,” which will operate between the Scarborough University of Toronto campus and Oshawa, connecting the two provincially defined urban growth centres of Pickering and Oshawa with connections to other transit services. The purchase of 20 new conventional buses, four specialized buses and three refurbishments will expand and revitalize DRT’s fleet with more fuel efficient accessible buses that offer greater reliability, comfort and reduced emissions. Today’s engine emission standards represent a 98 per cent reduction of nitrous oxide and particulate matter when compared to 1990 emissions.

8.50

8.51

9.12

9.79

10.06

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012 est.

6.94

2007

Specialized Services is an accessible door-to-door service providing assistance to 2,800 clients with mobility challenges. It has grown 47 per cent since 2006 to more than 160,000 trips annually. The accessible low floor “kneeling” and ramp features that are now on 86 per cent of the conventional DRT fleet provide additional transit options for passengers.

6.85

7.62

2006

In 2012, DRT will focus on increased service levels to provide Durham residents with an effective and efficient public transit service. Conventional ridership has grown 43 per cent to over 50 million riders since the amalgamation and upload of local area municipal transit systems to the Region in 2006.

2005

Gross Expenditures: $114.0 million Property Taxes: $45.0 million

DRT Ridership 2005 to 2012 Millions of Riders

Durham Region Transit (DRT) & GO Transit

2011 Ridership Composition Adults, GO Train Commuters & Other 37%

Students 45% GO Transit Bus Riders 9% Seniors, Children & Ontario Disability Program Recipients 9%

Transportation & Other Services Regional Roads & Public Works

Winter Control Cost 5,295 3,997

4,300

4,234

3,250

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

Dollars

3,067

4,102

2012 est.

5,295

2011

$ Per lane km

Gross Expenditures: $97.0 million Property Taxes: $64.8 million

The Works Department is responsible for the safety, design, construction and maintenance of the Regional road network, and the maintenance of more than 300 Regional properties and buildings. A total of $50 million of major road expansion and reconstruction projects, along with bridge rehabilitations and replacements are planned for 2012. This includes $15.2 million for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of portions of the existing Regional road network. The Works Department continues initiatives to support safe, efficient operations, including:

Transportation Infrastructure 2010 Asset Condition

Poor and Critical 11%

• Expanded use of global positioning systems (GPS); • Winter maintenance product discharge management and an improved Salt Management Plan resulting in less product used and reduced environmental impact;

Very Good 40%

Fair 25%

• Anti-icing programs for areas prone to frost/black ice and other safety initiatives to reduce collisions; • Intelligent Transportation Systems and infrastructure initiatives, including continuous optimization of traffic signal timings, installation of audible and countdown pedestrian signals, and intersection design improvements to accommodate capacity, safety and accessibility needs;

Good 24% 64 per cent of the Regional transportation infrastructure is rated “Good to Very Good”.

• State-of-Good-Repair Program to maximize energy efficiency and comply with accessibility legislation while continuing to explore green initiatives, including rain water collection and storage for irrigation; and • Asphalt removed from reconstruction or resurfacing projects is reused as granular shoulder material, reducing the need for new gravel and resulting in significant cost savings and greater resistance to washouts.

Special Contributions Property Taxes: $5.0 million • The Region continues to honour its $10.5 million commitment to the Oshawa site of the Lakeridge Health system with an additional $2.8 million of funding approved under this four year commitment.

Other Services & Funding Major property tax funding and services include: Council and Administrative Services Infrastructure Renewal Funding Property Assessment Services (MPAC) Planning & Economic Development Conservation Authorities Emergency 9-1-1 Telephone System Durham Emergency Management Office

$32.6 million $16.7 million $7.9 million $7.8 million $6.4 million $2.2 million $0.5 million

• The Region approved the request of the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering Hospital for a contribution of $1.5 million over a three year period with initial funding of $0.5 million approved in the 2012 budget. • An amount of $0.8 million was approved in 2012 to fund the existing Regional commitment to Durham College, providing a total of $5.0 million over seven years. • The Region also continues to contribute $1.0 million to its Land Acquisition Reserve to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands by Conservation Authorities.

Durham Region’s Triple A Credit Rating In January 2012, Moody’s Investors Service reviewed the credit fundamentals of The Regional Municipality of Durham and confirmed its long-standing Triple A credit rating. This Triple A rating places Durham within a select group of municipalities with an exemplary reputation in the investment community who are seen as leaders in fiscal responsibility and integrity. Durham is one of eight Canadian municipalities that have been awarded this rating. “Durham’s reliance on forward-looking fiscal plans and the regional council’s commitment to long-term planning has allowed the regional municipality to maintain low debt levels and low debt service ratios, supporting the Aaa rating.” “The Regional Municipality of Durham incorporates five-year fiscal plans in the development of its operating and capital budgets. The five-year plans, which are updated annually, are conservative in nature and help the regional municipality identify future challenges before they arise. As such, the reliance on long-term planning has helped Durham generate consistent, positive operating results and has helped to mitigate borrowing requirements for capital projects.”

Moody’s Investors Service

Canadian Award for Financial Reporting The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded an eighth consecutive ‘Canadian Award for Financial Reporting’ to The Regional Municipality of Durham for its Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. The Canadian Award for Financial Reporting program was established to encourage high quality financial reports. To receive the award, a government unit must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized annual report, whose contents conform to GFOA program standards. Awarded reports go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and demonstrate efforts to clearly communicate the municipality’s financial picture, enhance an understanding of financial reporting and address user needs.

Contact Information Tax Billing Information Local Area Municipalities Town of Ajax 905-683-4550 www.ajax.ca Township of Brock 705-432-2355 www.townshipofbrock.ca Municipality of Clarington 905-623-3379 www.clarington.net City of Oshawa 905-436-3311 905-436-5642 (TTY) www.oshawa.ca City of Pickering 1-866-683-2760 (toll free) 905-420-1739 (TTY) www.pickering.ca Township of Scugog 905-985-7346 www.scugog.ca Township of Uxbridge 905-852-9181 www.town.uxbridge.on.ca Town of Whitby 905-668-5803 www.whitby.ca

Performance Measurement The Region of Durham is an active participant in the Ontario Municipal CAO’s Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI), which involves the collaboration of municipal partners representing more than 9.6 million residents or 73 per cent of Ontario’s population. The initiative enhances municipal accountability and supports Durham’s commitment to continuous improvement in service delivery. The Region also participates in the mandatory Provincial Municipal Performance Measurement Program and has established practices of reporting performance measures as part of the annual Business Planning and Budget process.

The Regional Municipality of Durham 605 Rossland Road East Whitby, ON L1N 6A3 905-668-7711 or 1-800-372-1102 www.durham.ca If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact 1-800-372-1102 ext. 2278

Tax Assessment Information The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) 1-866-296-6722 www.mpac.ca

Taxation Policy Information The Regional Municipality of Durham, Finance Department 1-800-372-1102 ext. 2278